an online discussion on the intersection of faith and film in popular culture today

Saturday, November 14, 2009

2012

"But of that day and hour no one really knows..." Matt. 24:36

The movie 2012 - about the end of the world as predicted by the Mayan calendar centuries ago - is a classic disaster movie in the vein of Armageddon, Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, Earthquake, or The Towering Inferno.

And while it might seem odd for a church worker like these, I love watching these disaster flicks. But it's not just for the special effects and epic scale of these movies; it's seeing how humanity reacts whenever they know their imminent doom is approaching.

2012 follows the journey of Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), an incredibly lucky guy in the face of the apocalypse - it's truly amazing how he can outrun earthquakes and volcanos while everyone else just perishes. To put it simply, the planets are in alignment, which means that the sun is erupting in violent ways (why? i don't know...) and thus, the earth is cooking like a microwave - it's plates are shifting and moving at incredibly fast rates, causing turmoil for us earthlings.

But no matter how it happens, from plate tectonics to an alien invasion, asteroid, or global warming, these "the world is ending" disaster movies challenges audiences with the same question over and over again: why will it take Armageddon for us to finally learn how to be loving, compassionate, and merciful towards each other?

Why can't we learn that lesson now - before the aliens, the asteroid, or the erupting sun hurls towards us?

In the first century (just like at the years 1000 and 2000 A.D. and several other occasions), there was a widespread fear of the "end times." Even the disciples of Jesus were caught up in the hysteria, to which Jesus looked at them and said,

"But of that day and hour no one really knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son - no one except for the Father. For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the Flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and going about their days up to the day Noah entered the ark. They did not know it was coming... Therefore stay awake... be prepared! For you do not know on which day the Lord will come again." (Matt. 24: 36-39, 42)

Sadly, the disciples and the early Church didn't get it - and they continued to live in fear that the end was coming tomorrow. When the fear wore off after several centuries, quite sadly, the people (including the Christians) forgot their humanity and we entered the dark ages.

There's a popular saying that goes something like: "Look busy... Jesus is coming!" That seems to be society's mentality - let's wait until the last possible second to start living the gospel; in the meantime, just look busy.

Perhaps as long as society keeps forgetting to be more peaceful, loving, compassionate, and forgiving with one another (on a personal and a global scale), we will keep having disaster movies to keep reminding us of the message: Be prepared, live the gospel, love one another - for you do not know on which day the end will come.

PS: This message hit home for me this week. One of my co-workers suddenly and unexpectedly passed away yesterday. In my reflection on this tragic event, I wondered what my last words were to her or how I treated her in this last week of her life. Was I prepared and did I treat her with gospel compassion and love - or did I forget this timeless message?

Whether the last days are coming in the year 2012 or if they come tomorrow, let us all pray that we will live each day as if it were our last.

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About Me

Paul Jarzembowski works for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as the Coordinator of Youth & Young Adult Ministries. Prior to this, he was the Executive Director of the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association (NCYAMA) and Director of Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois.
He is an adjuct faculty member in the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago - and an internationally-recognized consultant, lecturer, writer, and motivational speaker featured at conferences, workshops, and seminars across North America.

About Spiritual Popcorn

Several years ago, I created "Spiritual Popcorn" as a way to share all the thoughts that were swimming around my head after seeing movies. I also wanted to invite others into a dialogue about the movie - to see what others were saying and thinking too.

Over time, "Spiritual Popcorn" has become a theological reflection on the spiritual themes that emerge from the movie theatre each week or so.

I invite you to share in that journey with me. Feel free to comment on my posts or share your own thoughts and theological reflections. I'd love to hear from you.